Bozeman Bicycle Accident Lawyer
Choosing to ride a bike for exercise, fun, or local transportation is an eco-conscious and fitness-friendly choice. Unfortunately, when bike riding in Bozeman or the surrounding area, an exposed cyclist is vulnerable to serious accidents when riding near traffic, in poorly lit areas, or in dangerous conditions on roads or bike lanes. If you or a close family member suffered injuries in a bicycle accident in Bozeman, contact Beck, Amsden, & Stalpes PLLC to learn how a Bozeman personal injury lawyer can help you recover your losses and a sense of justice.
Why Choose Us for Your Bozeman Bicycle Accident Lawyers?
The legal team at Beck, Amsden & Stalpes PLLC has dedicated their careers to advocating for injury victims. With over 100 years of combined legal experience, our team brings the following to your claim:
- A personalized strategy based on the unique circumstances of your case, with obtaining the maximum compensation for you as our top priority
- Our renowned reputation for exceptional results in recovering over $100 million for our clients lends your bicycle accident claim a well-respected voice
- Experienced investigators, access to accident reconstruction specialists, and medical expert witnesses strengthen your case
After a free consultation, our contingency-based payment system means we work at no upfront cost to you, only charging our fee after we’ve first recovered your compensation.
Common Causes of Bicycle Accidents In Bozeman
Even the most careful rider can experience a bicycle accident caused by someone else’s careless, reckless, or wrongful actions—all examples of legal negligence under Montana’s fault-based injury law of modified comparative negligence. The most common causes of bicycle accidents in Montana and elsewhere are the following negligent driver actions:
- Distracted driving
- Speeding
- Failure to yield the right of way to a bicyclist
- Following too closely
- Improperly passing a bicycle too closely
- Negligent left turns, or hitting a cyclist approaching from the left while looking to the right during a left turn
- Right-hooking, or passing a bicycle and then making a right turn into the bicycle’s path
- Impaired driving
Inadequate street lights, unrepaired potholes, and other hazardous conditions also cause or contribute to bicycle accidents.
Injuries Commonly Sustained In Bicycle Accidents
A cyclist is exposed to direct contact with a vehicle and the roadway during a crash, often causing serious, severe, or catastrophic injuries such as the following:
- Single or multiple bone fractures
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Fractures of the hips and pelvis
- Severe abrasions and friction burns (road rash)
- Facial and dental injuries
- Lacerations and contusions
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic amputations
- Crush injuries
Depending on the severity of your injuries, recoverable damages range from a single emergency room bill and a few days of lost pay to catastrophic injury damages for lifelong disability.
What to Do After a Bicycle Accident In Bozeman
If you’re not incapacitated or unconscious and able to use a cell phone, or ask an uninjured companion to use one for you, you can take the following purposeful actions to protect yourself:
- Call 911 to report the accident and ask for emergency services
- Use the phone to photograph the damaged bike, the involved vehicle, and/or any road or bike trail condition that led to the accident
- Add the contact information of the involved driver and any eyewitness before they leave
- Photograph your injuries
At the hospital, you should request a thorough medical evaluation as well as treatment for your emergency injuries. This sometimes allows doctors to diagnose bicycle accident injuries with delayed symptoms, such as whiplash, traumatic brain injuries, and internal injuries. As you recover from your injuries, you can strengthen your bicycle accident claim by doing the following:
- Ask for a detailed medical report that lists every injury, the doctor’s recommendations for your treatment, and your overall prognosis for the future
- Then, obtain a copy of the police report of the accident
- Never accept an early settlement offer from the at-fault party’s insurance without first speaking to an attorney
- Hire an experienced Bozeman, Montana bicycle accident lawyer to represent you
- Direct all interactions with the insurance company to your lawyer
- Carefully follow your doctor’s treatment instructions, attend every appointment, and fill all prescriptions
Avoid posting about your accident on social media until after you’ve completed the claim process.
Who May Be Liable for a Bicycle Accident?
Bicycle riding is a great option for transportation within a community, but riding a bicycle close to traffic leaves cyclists exposed to serious injury. An injury victim can recover compensation for their economic losses, pain, and suffering, but first, it’s crucial to understand how insurance companies and civil courts determine liability in Washington bike accident claims. Common Liable parties in Bozeman bicycle accident claims include the following:
- A negligent driver
- An impaired driver
- A negligent road-planning agency
- A negligent road-maintenance agency or road construction contractor
- The manufacturer of a defective bicycle part
Under Montana Code 27-1-701, the law describes legal negligence and the duty of care as follows:
“Except as otherwise provided by law, each person is responsible not only for the results of the person’s willful acts but also for an injury occasioned to another by the person’s want of ordinary care or skill in the management of the person’s property or person…”
When a driver or other entity breaches the general duty of care to others on the road, including cyclists, and the breach of duty causes an accident with damages, they can be held liable for the damages.
What Compensation Can Be Recovered After a Bicycle Accident?
Bicycle accidents have serious and sometimes long-term consequences. These are the damages in a claim against the liable party. Common damages recovered include the following:
- Total medical expenses, including those already paid and projected future costs
- Total earning loss or diminished earning ability
- Compensation for out-of-pocket costs for travel to see specialists, adaptive equipment, and cost of home health services for a catastrophic injury
- Compensation for pain, suffering, PTSD, anxiety, and depression
Wrongful death damages are available to the surviving family of a fatally injured bicyclist through a Bozeman wrongful death claim filed by the decedent’s personal representative of their estate.
Contact a Bozeman Bicycle Accident Lawyer Today
An insurance company can diminish the amount you recover from a claim against the person who caused your injury by assigning some of the fault for the accident to you and using other common tactics against you. It’s hugely advantageous to have an assertive bicycle accident attorney on your side. Call or contact Beck, Amsden & Stalpes PLLC for a free consultation so we can begin strategizing the best plan of action for your case.